Category: Daily Guide Network

The skies above Czestochowa, Poland, have come alive as the 40th FAI World Gliding Championships officially launched with a striking opening ceremony at Rudniki Airfield. Running from May 16 to May 30, 2026, the prestigious event brings together the world’s leading glider pilots for two weeks of elite competition, precision flying, and tactical endurance.

Widely regarded as one of the pinnacle events in international soaring sport, this year’s championship features up to 120 competitors across three highly competitive classes: Open, 18-Metre, and 20-Metre Multi-seat.

A Global Line-Up of Elite Talent

The 2026 edition promises intense rivalry among some of the strongest nations in gliding:

Germany arrives as a leading force following its 2024 team cup victory, with standout pilots such as Stefan Langer and Simon Schröder expected to make a strong impact.

France continues its tradition of consistency at the highest level, led by experienced competitors Laurent Aboulin and Christophe Abadie.

Host nation Poland carries strong home-field ambition, with seasoned pilots including Rubaj and Matkowski competing in the demanding 20-metre multi-seat class.

Austria fields a competitive lineup featuring Christian Hynek and Werner Amann, while the Czech Republic brings depth with Tomas Rendla and Jiri Kusbach. The United States also enters with momentum, highlighted by Open Class contender Felipe Levin, who claimed victory in 2024.

Precision Machines of the Sky

Competition across the classes will showcase some of the most advanced gliders in modern soaring:

In the Open Class, where wingspans can reach extreme limits and all-up mass is capped at 850 kg, aircraft such as the Schempp-Hirth Quintus, Lange Antares 23E, and LAK-20 represent the cutting edge of performance engineering.

The 18-Metre Class, restricted to a maximum mass of 600 kg, features highly refined machines including the Schleicher ASG 29, Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2, and Jonker JS-1.

Meanwhile, the 20-Metre Multi-seat Class, designed for teamwork and precision coordination, includes aircraft such as the Duo Discus, DG-1000, Arcus, and ASG 32, all operating within a 750 kg weight limit.

A Showcase of Endurance and Strategy

Beyond speed and altitude, the championship tests navigation, weather reading, and tactical decision-making over long cross-country tasks. With shifting atmospheric conditions across Poland’s varied terrain, the competition is expected to reward both technical mastery and strategic discipline.

As the championship unfolds, Czestochowa stands at the center of the soaring world—where silence, skill, and sky converge in one of aviation’s most demanding and elegant competitions.

Ghana’s Black Starlets ended their 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a spirited 3-1 victory over South Africa national under-17 football team, but heartbreakingly missed out on qualification after losing a drawing of lots to Algeria.

The Black Starlets made a bright start and took an early lead when Captain, Joseph Narbi converted from the penalty spot after Abdul Latif Wunzalgu was fouled inside the area.

Ghana continued to dominate proceedings, with Abdul Latif once again troubling the South African defence. The winger won a second penalty after his effort struck the hand of a defender in the box. Narbi stepped up confidently to score his second goal of the evening and give Ghana a comfortable advantage.

The Starlets nearly added a third before halftime, but striker Robinho Yao Gavi was denied by an impressive save from the South African goalkeeper.

South Africa returned strongly after the break and reduced the deficit with a second-half goal to raise hopes of a comeback. However, Ghana responded quickly as substitute Augustine Appiah restored the two-goal cushion with a powerful finish to make it 3-1.

The Black Starlets created several more chances in the closing stages, but Gavi failed to convert two clear opportunities.

The victory left Ghana level on points with Algeria national under-17 football team, with both sides also tied on goals scored and goals conceded. Tournament officials were forced to use the drawing of lots to determine second place in Group D.

Algeria won the draw, ending Ghana’s campaign in painful fashion despite the impressive win.

Nigerian singer, Tiwa Savage, has revealed that she received strong emotional support during her time at Mavin Records.

Speaking on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast with Joey Akan, the singer said she often turned to Don Jazzy and other artistes at the label during difficult moments.

‘Who you sign to is very important,’ she said.

‘If there is something going on, I will run to Jazzy’s room and we will all talk about it. If I have to cry, we will get through it.’

Tiwa Savage said Mavin Records felt like a family and helped artists support one another emotionally.

She added that working with foreign labels is different because they focus mainly on business.

‘They don’t really care about your personal stuff. I can’t really go to the Empire office and cry,’ she said.

The singer said the experience taught her the importance of signing to people who genuinely care about artists beyond music and money.

Tiwa Savage joined Mavin Records in 2012 and left in 2019 after signing an international deal with Universal Music Group.

The recent crackdown on bad mattress production during which some Chinese nationals were arrested has opened the Pandora’s Box on substandard products flooding our markets.

Officials of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) who undertook an inspection of production lines of mattresses detected practices which do not inure to the interest of consumers. The stuffing in the mattresses were not wholly appropriate and could account for some health challenges suffered by consumers.

Orthopaedic defects in the spinal column have been said to be one of the drawbacks of the bad products.

Some consumers are said to have cut open their mattresses, following the crackdown, to determine whether or not they bought the right products. Just how they can do so without the technical eyes remains to be seen.

While we abhor bad publicity not founded on science and reality for businesses in which large outlays of capital have been injected and which are sources of employment for many Ghanaians, we would be quick to demand that best practices are adhered to because our health matter.

The GSA, by the discovery, suggest that they have been sleeping on the job for all the time the bad products were being produced and consumed. Well, it is better late than never but then let state agencies established to protect consumers and for that matter Ghanaians perform their roles efficiently. If indeed the bad products accounted for health challenges of consumers, the manufacturers must compensate the victims and apologise to them for their assorted predicaments.

The logo of approval from the GSA can only be respected when the officials are seen to be performing their statutory roles.

Ghana is in crisis in terms of dangerous and unwholesome products, some of which are responsible for many non-communicable health challenges.

The rising cases of organ failures have made worrying headlines recently, but these have not led to effective actions by the relevant authorities to address them.

The food we eat are hardly inspected for wholesomeness, leaving ‘chop bar’ operators to add whatever they decide upon to the meals they sell to consumers. Even kenkey producers add a chemical to make the products soft, which additive’s constitution is hardly known to the consumer.

With little or no knowledge of allergies, we continue to consume the same meals even when some of them are responsible for the reactions we suffer.

Although near impossible, we would nonetheless demand of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to do more in ensuring good practices among ‘chop bar’ operators.

A Ghanaian top nephrologist who visited home exclaimed at the number of commercials on aphrodisiacs as though there is no regulatory authority. There are of course, but how effectively do they perform the tasks bestowed upon them by law and for which they are remunerated with the taxpayers’ monies?

The assortment of bitters and the sugarcoated audios accompanying them make them appear like elixirs even as we listen to the almost cacophonous commercials every other hour on our FM stations.

The Northern Regional Special Operations Team, known as Red Maria, embarked on a routine anti-drug peddling operation and arrested twenty-four (24) individuals within the Tamale Metropolis in the Northern Region.

During the operation, the suspects were arrested for possession and use of suspected narcotic substances, as well as engaging in drug-related activities.

The Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Alhassan Luckman Niendow, who confirmed the arrest to DAILY GUIDE, indicated that the suspects are users of narcotic substances.

According to him, a search conducted during the operation led to the retrieval of five (5) motorbikes, twenty-five (25) wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and fourteen (14) sachets of Tramadol.

He stated that the suspects are currently in police custody assisting with investigations.

The Court of Appeal has ordered Bank of Ghana (BoG) to restore the operating licence of GN Savings and Loans Limited after it upheld an appeal against the decision of a High Court which affirmed the central bank’s 2019 decision.

The appellate court has also ordered the BoG to return all assets to GN Savings and Loans while the receiver, was also ordered to return the management of the company to its previous managers.

A three-member panel of the court gave the order yesterday after it overturned a 2020 decision of a High Court which said BoG’s revocation of the company’s operating licence was not illegal or discriminatory.

Insolvency

GN Bank was reclassified as a savings and loans company on January 4, 2019, and subsequently renamed GN Savings and Loans Company Limited.

However, the Bank of Ghana, on August 16, 2019, revoked the company’s operating licence for being insolvent and appointed Eric Nana Nipah as its receiver.

Suit

On August 30, 2019, Chairman of Groupe Nduom, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, sued the BoG and two others over the revocation of the licence of GN Savings and Loans Company Limited.

The suit, which was filed jointly by Coconut Grove Beach Resort and Conference Centre Limited and Groupe Nduom (GN) Limited, is challenging the decision of the central bank to declare GN Savings and Loans Company insolvent leading to the revocation of its operating licence.

The suit had challenged the issue of insolvency claim by the BoG, saying contrary to the central bank’s claims, a fair, truthful, just and independent assessment of GN Savings and Loans’ books would show it was very solvent ‘and particularly, that the value of Gold Coast’s government infrastructure project portfolio, running in excess of GHS2.2 billion in addition to other assets available to Groupe Nduom, could support the GN Savings and Loans to far exceed the value of its liabilities.’

They also want an order of certiorari, quashing the decision in the notice issued by BoG which declared GN Savings and Loans Company insolvent and, consequently, revoked its licence to operate as a specialised deposit-taking institution.

Again, the suit is seeking an order on BoG to restore to the company its licence to enable it to continue operating as a specialised deposit-taking institution.

It also wants an order on the receiver of the company ‘to submit the possession, management or control of the assets, operations and other activities of the company to its shareholders or persons who, immediately before August 16, 2019, were in possession, management or control of such assets, operations and activities.’

Decision

The court, presided over by Justice Gifty Addo Adjei, delivering judgement on the case, said the central bank was right when it revoked the licence because it had become apparent that it was unable to meet its debt obligations due to poor governance structures.

The court said the applicant had not been able to satisfy the court that at the time of the revocation of its licence, it was solvent and able to meet its debt obligations.

Justice Addo Adjei said the claim by the applicants of unreasonableness coupled with malice and violation of existing laws in the process of the revocation was unfounded.

On the issue of discrimination, the court concluded that the applicants were not discriminated against since other entities suffered a similar fate as that of the applicants.

The National Peace Council (NPC), has called for calm amid rising political tensions following arrests of some political actors.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, the Council said the rising tensions are based on comments those arrested allegedly made that purportedly flout the laws of the country.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Tuesday, petitioned members of the Diplomatic Community over what it described as growing state-sponsored political persecution under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

The NPP also alleged that security agencies, and elements within the judicial system, were being used to target critics and arrested by government officials.

The opposition party also cited the example of Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye DC, who was arrested and detained over comments allegedly made about the judiciary.

The National Peace Council called for moderation, circumspection and tolerance by actors in the media and public places.

‘As the statutory body mandated under Act 818 to prevent, manage, and resolve conflict, we call for calm and restraint from all sides,’ it stated.

‘The National Peace Council remind all Ghanaians that the rule of law, due process, and respect for constitutional rights as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana are non-negotiable pillars of our democracy and calls for moderation, circumspection and tolerance by actors in the media and public places,’ it stressed.

The National Peace Council also asked political parties, its communicators, as well as their actors, to refrain from making unsubstantiated, inflammatory statements and actions that have the potential to incite violence in the country.

‘The National Peace Council equally remind political commentators both home and abroad to be mindful of their utterances and their impact on national cohesion and stability.

‘The NPC reiterate the fact that Ghana’s stability depends on our ability to disagree in our public discourse without resorting to abusive language or violence. We entreat the citizenry to act with responsibility and civility in accordance with the law,’ parts of the statement read.

The Council further mentioned that as part of its quarterly trust building platform with political parties, it will hold a meeting in the next few days to dialogue with the leadership of the parties to find lasting solutions to the development, to prevent the situation from escalating.

‘It is in this vein that we call on our respected Security and Judicial Institutions to act with impartiality, transparency, and professionalism and ensure that the rights and freedoms of citizens are always upheld in the performance of their lawful duties,’ it added.

US Embassy Ghana opened its new US Government Exchange Alumni Speaker Series on Tuesday with a candid conversation on what it will take for Ghana’s creative industry to compete globally: stronger systems, authentic storytelling, smarter marketing, and a willingness to reinvent.

Held at the US Embassy in Accra, the event marked the first in a year-long series celebrating 250 years of US independence and the partnership between Ghana and the United States.

The session, titled ‘American Excellence in Film and the Influence of Exchange Alumni on Ghana’s Creative Industry,’ brought together two of Ghana’s leading creatives, both US exchange alumni, for a practical masterclass on the business of storytelling.

Delivering welcome remarks, Donya Eldridge, Cultural Affairs Attaché at the US Embassy Ghana, said the series was designed to spotlight alumni who are ‘leaders, innovators and change makers who bring American excellence back to their communities and industries.

‘Alumni programming is something that is very near and dear to my heart. We know that our alumni are amongst the best that Ghana has to offer, and so we love when we have an opportunity to be able to share who they are, what they’ve learned in their experiences,’ Eldridge said.

She described the initiative as the start of ‘many conversations’ that will showcase alumni impact across the country as the US marks 250 years this July.

Filmmaker and Black Star International Film Festival founder, Juliet Asante, urged Ghanaian creatives to treat marketing as a core part of production, not an afterthought.

‘When you’re doing a production, you should have a marketing budget. A lot of films do not have it. It’s like after the film, then it’s like, ‘oh, okay, now what do we do?” she said.

Ms. Asante noted that in mature markets, up to 30% of a film’s budget goes to marketing. Without it, even strong films disappear. Using a familiar analogy, she said, ‘Doing something without marketing is like winking in the dark to a woman. You know what you’re doing, she can’t see what you’re doing.’

She also called for a return to authentic Ghanaian storytelling. Citing the Chinese series ‘Pursuit of Jade’, which has crossed a trillion views despite being in Chinese. She argued that global audiences want cultural specificity.

Filmmaker and KOFAS Media CEO, Kofi Asamoah, shifted the focus to infrastructure, arguing that Ghana’s main gap is not creativity but systems.

‘I realised that the biggest strength of the United States is not in their talent, it’s not in their storytelling. It is actually in working systems,’ he stated.

In the US, he said, creativity is treated as an industry with documented intellectual property, residuals, clear distribution pipelines, and investor trust. In Ghana, it remains largely seen as entertainment or a hustle.

Dear President John Dramani Mahama,

In the eight years of Akufo-Addo’s presidency, when the noose around the neck of free expression remained forever tight, I was one of those who spoke out constantly.

Not only did I speak up, but I also missed no chance to remind Ghanaians of the freedom we had enjoyed under your first term, largely due to your tolerance of free speech. I told them you were not as vindictive as Akufo-Addo and his administration.

I said these things not because I hated Akufo-Addo. Neither was I campaigning for you, as others construed it.

I’d lived that freedom under your presidency. I believed in your tolerance, your quest to see an atmosphere of free speech, even when you were the target of toxic speech and vitriol.

When you became president again, I expected nothing less because I hadn’t seen you change in that aspect of your character.

That is why I feel so ashamed about what is happening now. It is as if we are in a military regime. Ghanaians, especially members of the opposition NPP, are constantly harassed under the widely abused law of publishing false news. Aside from Abronye, others have spent weeks in custody for no crime other than making harmless comments. Someone was arrested and detained for posting about power outages.

Mr. President, this is a blot in your presidency, a severe dent in your high reputation as a friend of the media and a guardian of free expression.

This is not the John Mahama I know, the Mahama whose high level of tolerance I could vouch for without batting an eyelid.

Why have I left the police and the judiciary to focus on you?

An elder who sits at home and watches children eat the forbidden snake will not be left out when a roll call of the snake’s eaters is taken. So said the sages of old. And it remains true to this day.

You appointed the IGP. You appointed the Director of the BNI. The political officeholders whose complaints have led to the arrest and detention of citizens are your appointees.

Calling your appointees and security agencies to order is not an interference in their lawful duty. It is safeguarding the integrity of our democracy, protecting the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of the people.

There’s a reason members of the governing party are not the target. The security agencies and some judges have resorted to these shameful actions because they are too eager to please the political authority headed by you. As we experienced in the past, members of the incumbent party do worse and get away with it.

Mr. President, you mustn’t sit down and watch. It is your presidency. It is your legacy. Defend it. Don’t put those of us who trust in your tolerance to shame.

Free speech is not a crime, even if it is laced with stupidity, as is the case in many of these instances. The law against publishing false information that causes fear and panic is being abused. It is being used to settle political scores, and the head of state must be concerned.

Many years ago, Ghanaians woke up at dawn with fear and panic. False information swept the nation, claiming an earthquake was imminent and that people should leave their homes. It was one of the rare instances in which false news had, indeed, caused ‘fear and panic’ in the nation.

The framers of the law probably anticipated such rare situations, but now the law is being used to teach critics of the government a lesson. It is used to show them where power lies. And you must not sit unconcerned.

After keeping people in custody, the cases don’t succeed in court because the charges are stupid and lack legal legs to stand up in court.

If this was wrong under Akufo-Addo, it must be wrong under Mahama, especially now that it’s worsening.

I hope you sit up and act. Don’t feign ignorance or innocence. You can’t be. The buck stops with you.

Yours sincerely,

Manasseh Azure Awuni.

The Minority in Parliament has launched a blistering attack on the government over the return of persistent power outages, economic hardship, alleged abuse of state power and what it describes as growing governance failures, demanding urgent parliamentary investigations into several national issues.

Delivering a statement at the opening of the second meeting of the second session of the Ninth Parliament on behalf of the Minority Leader, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, accused the government of failing to address worsening conditions confronting Ghanaians.

Central to the Minority’s concerns was the return of ‘dumsor,’ which Ms. Appiagyei said had once again plunged homes and businesses into uncertainty despite government promises to end the crisis.

‘Communities across this country are once again enduring prolonged, unpredictable power cuts. Businesses are haemorrhaging money, hospitals are under strain, children are studying by candlelight in a country that generates its own electricity,’ she stated.

According to her, the economic cost of the outages is estimated at about $320 million annually in lost productivity.

The Minority blamed the situation on the government’s failure to respond adequately to warning signs, including the recent fire at the Akosombo Power Control Centre and developments at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

Ms. Appiagyei further accused the government of suppressing free expression by allegedly deploying security agencies against opposition supporters and citizens who publicly complained about the return of power outages.

She cited the arrest of a New Patriotic Party (NPP) organiser over a social media post about ‘dumsor,’ describing the action as an assault on democratic freedoms and constitutional rights.

The Minority also raised concerns about the financial health of the Bank of Ghana, claiming the central bank’s negative equity position had worsened significantly following reported losses amounting to more than GHS34 billion.

According to Ms. Appiagyei, the Finance and Economic Committees of Parliament must urgently summon the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to explain the institution’s recapitalisation strategy and measures being taken to restore stability.

On international affairs, the Minority criticised the government’s handling of attacks on Ghanaians abroad, particularly xenophobic violence in South Africa and the killing of Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso.

She called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present a comprehensive protection and reintegration framework for Ghanaians living in conflict-prone countries and to regularly brief Parliament on developments.

The Minority also demanded a full parliamentary probe into the award of the Damang Mine lease to Engineers and Planners, a company linked to businessman Ibrahim Mahama, brother of President John Dramani Mahama.

According to Ms. Appiagyei, the transaction raises serious constitutional and conflict-of-interest concerns that Parliament cannot ignore.

She further criticised the organisation of the African Senior Athletics Championships hosted in Accra, describing the event as an ‘international embarrassment’ due to logistical failures, poor accommodation arrangements and operational breakdowns.

The Minority consequently called for the Minister for Youth and Sports to appear before the full House to answer questions over the management of the championship and preparations towards Ghana’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ms. Appiagyei also alleged that early succession politics within the governing party were distracting ministers from governance and national recovery efforts.

‘The people of Ghana deserve governance that is fully at work, fully focused and fully accountable,’ she declared.

The Minority demanded immediate action on what it described as the worsening hardship facing Ghanaians, insisting Parliament must use every constitutional tool available to hold the government accountable.